


Pretty Feet

by Remeny



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF, rpdr - Fandom
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-12 19:36:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10498071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remeny/pseuds/Remeny
Summary: Violet Chachki's only reason for living is to become a ballerina, even if she has to run herself into the ground to do so.Fame just moved to Atlanta from Germany. Fame's only reason for living is to become free. Oh and she dances pretty good too.What happens when the girl's lives collide in the most unexpected way?(A/N yes this is set in the US but I find it hard to spell Mum M-O-M and since I make myself do so in my larger fic, I'm not going to for this one. M-O-M is a fucking abomination)





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [my beloved sister Carolyn](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=my+beloved+sister+Carolyn).



> Hi peoples! *waves*  
> This is just a taste of a fic I am working on after I am done Roses. Sometimes I write it instead of Roses, as long as I keep writing, that is all that matters.  
> Let me know what you think!

Part 1

Narrator: Violet was dreaming, or having a nightmare or having a walk down memory lane, one can never be sure dear reader. I will leave that for you to decide.

She was in a pale pink sundress in the middle of Grant Park, close enough to be able to hear the tinkling water in the little pond. It was her favourite park in Atlanta. 

It was fall and the trees were a riot of colour, she should be cold but she was working up a sweat because she was dancing. This was her favourite thing to do in her favourite place. She let her shiny ebony hair out of the confines of her bun, shaking her head and feeling the breeze lift up tendrils of her hair. 

She was barefoot, the vestiges of the morning dew making her feet damp. She arabesqued, stretching out her back leg and pointing her feet. Her instructor had said " Why Violanie! Your feet are so perfectly pointy they could cut glass!",It was meant to be a joke but none of her  
classmates took it that way, they glared at her like she had MADE the instructor praise her and not them. 

Violet's alabaster skin had turned an unnatural shade of red, She HATED when people called her Violanie! The only people Violet didn't mind calling her that was her grandparents and Mum, whom she lived with. 

Violet shook her head, visualizing all of those thoughts leaving her head.  
She pursed her red lips and did another arabesque into a double cabriole into a grande jeté. She whirled around in a coupé jeté, done as a series en menège, so she spun around dizzyingly to any passersby but Violet was never dizzy as she used the fountain as her spot to look to avoid such. 

She wished she could pirouette but the grass would be too slick and she could injure herself. Juilliard, Joffrey Academy, American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet and Canada's National Ballet School were all coming to scout talent for scholarships, something Violet desperately needed if she wanted to continue her path to be a professional dancer. She had a partial scholarship, her Mum’s 2nd job and her job to pay for the studio she was taking advanced ballet at right now but it was not enough to become a professional dancer.

She flopped down on the ground after dancing about, dragging her duffle close to grab her water and check the time. As usual, Violet was running late, well a jog never hurt anyone.

When she got to the studio, she was out of breath. She walked into the locker room to see scowling faces, the noisy room went icily silent.

“Hey pretty feet.” Trixie, Pearl and Kennedy jeered, and since they were the most popular girls, Kandy, Ginger and Jasmine joined in with a sing song chant, “pretty feet kissed Miss ZameloSHEKisza’s ass.” 

“ENOUGH!!” The newer, mild mannered girl named Fame said, slamming her locker and glaring at the girls with disdain. “Plus you are saying it wrong, I have only been here for 4 months but I can pronounce it. It’s Zamolodchikova!” There was a faint trace of an accent in her melodic voice.

“Oh shut up Famke Schreiber!” Trixie said, giving her a calculating look complete with cocky grin and then going back to filing her pink painted nails and looking bored.

Fame’s kind face turned cold, “I told you to NEVER call me that! My name is Fame now! I no longer live in Germany! Fame is my name!!” She said in a whisper that was filled with malice, her accent getting heavier when she was mad. She looked like she would pounce on Trixie, her hands were balled into fists and Violet could see her white knuckles from how hard she was squeezing them shut.

Violet glared at the girls and then reached over and touched Fame’s arm, the girl startled and Violet whispered, “thank you Fame, just let it go.” Fame smiled at her and relaxed her slightly shaking hands.

The two girls faced each other. Trixie and her sycophants had moved on to a new topic and pretended neither of them existed anymore, which was fine with both of them.

Violet linked her pinky with Fame’s, “thank you so much, I, literally, don’t know what their problem is!”

“That is simple, they are jealous, you have talent while they look like incoordinated pigs in tutus.”

Violet covered her mouth and giggled, “gee thanks for the visual! Now I’m going to be picturing that all class. And it’s UNcoordinated Fame.”

“Ahh thank you! I like that you correct my English but don’t make a big deal out of it or make me feel dumb.”

Violet pulled off her dress and pulled her pale pink capezios out of her bag, looking displeased with the run that was going up the tights, oh well, she couldn’t afford a new pair and they were the best she had right now. She pulled up a pair of sequined leg warmers to cover it and pulled on a black, short sleeved leotard, pulling on a pink wrap sweater that she knew she would throw to the side once she was warmed up but right now, she needed it.

“Hello my little Jewels!” Madame Zamolochikova popped her head into the locker room and everyone fell silent. She was all linear lines, white teeth, cheekbones and blonde hair. “No pointe shoes today. I want to see everyone’s pretty feet.” She said, looking fondly at Violet, who smiled but was grumbling in her head.  
“2 minutes! Chop! Chop!” She announced, withdrawing her head.  
Violet quickly stowed her dress and took another little sip of water. She turned to push through the door with Fame when the other girls streamed by, Trixie purposely banged into Violet’s shoulder, knocking the slender girl backwards, Fame caught her and Trixie stomped away in a huff.

Violet waited til the rest of the girls filed out before grabbing Fame’s wrist. She recoiled like a caged animal and her eyes were as big as saucers for a moment. 

Violet put her hands up, “hey Fame, it’s just me!”

“I’m sorry! You startled me!”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just wanted to tell you,” Violet paused, not sure how to word it, “you don’t have to stick up for me. I don’t want the girls to give you trouble just because they hate me.”

She just smiled softly and winked, “Violanie, I’ve dealt with worse than UNcoordinated mean American teenaged piggies in tutus.”

Violet threw her head back and laughed. For once, she didn’t mind someone outside of her family calling her Violanie.

The afternoon was the same as usual, the teacher made Violet point her “pretty feet” for the other students, gushing about her form, after class animosity from everyone but Fame. By the end, she was fed up and dressed quickly to head home, setting a time and place to meet Fame for coffee before the next class.

Violet walked part way home before she had to sit. Holding her stomach for a moment, fishing her water out again to take a few dainty sips. She thought the stomach flu she had last week was gone, she hoped it was just because she hadn’t eaten much so she pulled out the packet of unsalted almonds she always kept in her bag. Protein good, salt bad! No one wants a bloated ballerina! 

She stood up and almost fell on her face, her legs were asleep and she had just woke them up and they were angry, pins and needles felt like she had stepped on a hornet’s nest. She quickly sat down again.

Geeze you’ve dealt with being en pointe while having giant bleeding open blisters, get it together Violanie! She chastised herself, she had never figured out why she talked to herself using a name she was trying to eradicate from everyone’s vocabulary.

She stood up unsteadily and headed home, about halfway home her pins and needles had dispersed. She stomped up the stairs to the brownstone her family shared, her grandparents had their own apartment on the 3rd floor but they were rarely in it. 

A warm gust of fresh baked bread scented air engulfed her. She inhaled deeply, as she softly closed the door hoping not to be heard so she could creep upstairs undetected, she smelled roast beef and onions which was her favourite meal and definitely something a dancer should NOT eat.

She got halfway up the stairs, when something that had never happened before happened. She fell going UP the stairs with a big thump, narrowly missing smashing her face into a stair by putting her arm out.

“Violanie dear, is that you?” Her grandma said, Violet scrambled to sit on the stair nonchalantly but not before Grandma saw her face down on the stairs. “Did you fall?” She asked, her voice trembling, before she even let her answer, she yelled over her shoulder, “Arnold, come quick! Our little Violanie fell.”

Granddad Arnold came dashing in from his study, a cloud of sweet smelling pipe smoke trailing behind him. “Oh dear!” He started up the stairs and sat beside her. “Are you hurt?” He asked, grandpa used to be a medic in the army and then a paramedic until he retired, he grabbed her hand to look at her palm where there was a rug burn.

“How about we get this cleaned up and get ready for dinner, your Mom will be home in 10 minutes and then we can eat. How about that pumpkin?” 

Violet knew there was no point in trying to retreat to her room to do the rest of her homeschool work for the day. She plastered a smile on her face and nodded. “Sounds good!”

“Well ok! Let’s go!” He said brightly and hopped up with the spring of a man half his age and stepped down a step or two. Violet stood up, lost her footing and then pitched forward. Grandmother yelled and pointed. Grandpa turned and scooped her up before she could splat.

“What has gotten into you Violanie?! Are you ok?” Grandpa asked, setting her down gently but keeping a hand on her arm.

Violet opened her mouth to speak when the door banged open, letting in a gust of autumn air and her Mum, who’s arms were laden with grocery bags. Violet and her Grandparents grabbed bags and hauled them to the kitchen. Violet was relieved that her Grandparents weren’t bringing up her unusual klutziness as they sat down for dinner. 

She took a small bit of roast beef, asparagus, broccoli and filled most of her plate with salad.

“Don’t you want any potatoes and gravy Violanie? You are so tiny.” Her grandmother put the bowls right in front of her, staring at her intently.

“Let her be Beatrice. As long as she is eating something, that is all that matters.” Her grandpa interrupted but he whispered, “you should really have a little bit more protein, don’t you think? It’s up to you love.” He winked at her as she moved the bowls of potatoes and gravy away and pulled the meat platter closer to add another slice to her plate, giving him a grin.

“Attagirl!”

Violet looked at her Mum, who looked like she was about to fall asleep in her mashed potatoes. Her Mum was so young, she often got mistaken for Violet’s sister. She had had her when she was only 15. She was working at Costco and as tutor for kids with learning disabilities as well as going to night school. 

Vi often felt guilty that her Mum had to take a second job to be able to pay for the lessons that the scholarship didn’t cover. She had often told her Mum that she can cut back on private lessons, go to a studio that was a little less prestigious but her Mum would refuse to even entertain that idea. Violet had had enough screaming matches with her about it for a lifetime. 

After dinner, Violet went up to her room, stopping on the way by the laundry to pop all her dance clothes in the washer. She opened her laptop, sat at her desk and sighed. A little bing when off and she smiled, it was Fame. 

She pulled up skype and hit the video chat button. Fame answered as soon as it rang, her smiling face filling the screen. Fame wasn’t a girl that was just beautiful sometimes if their hair and makeup were done right. Fame was a natural, classic beauty. She was also very talented with makeup, something the other girls were jealous about. Especially Trixie, who had about as much skill with a makeup brush as a 3 year old.

“Hi! How are you?” Fame said in a low voice. “Sorry I can’t speak loudly because I am supposed to be studying and if my parents catch me, I am in big trouble.” She smiled but her eyes looked so unhappy.

“Ok well, I have homework to do too so why don’t we minimize skype so we can just see watch other in the corner of our screen and we can say that we are just doing our homework which won’t be a lie. What are you working on?”

“English, which I kind of cheated in because I read the book we are on in German so I could read it faster and the teacher found out.” she said with a tiny giggle and then a sigh “so I am re-reading it in English…”

“That is so fucking dumb! Oh parental alert.” Which was code for the other girl to mute herself. There was a soft knock at the door and Violet’s Mum poked her head in.

“Hey Violet my dear,” She started and Violet grinned from ear to ear because her Mum rarely called her Violet. “I’m off to night classes in a half an hour. I hung up your dance stuff to dry in the laundry room. I’ll make sure I stop at the bank so you can get some new capezios. Is there anything in your classwork you need help with?”

“I don’t need tights yet, the run is under my legwarmers anyway.” Her heart panged with the look of relief that was thinly veiled in her Mum’s eyes. “Nope I did most between private classes, just math and spanish left which you know I love, I always save the best for last!”

“Ok,” Her Mum came over and hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “Grandad said you fell? Are you ok?” 

“Yeah I’m totally fine, don’t worry, I have a tiny scrape on my palm, I think I’ll live.” She said sarcastically showing her the little pink track on her hand.

“Ok well put some of that antiseptic you put on the blisters on your feet ok? I don’t want you to get an infection. Are you sure you are ok?” She fretted, rubbing Vi’s back.

“I’m ok Mama, I promise.” She reassured her.

“Ok as long as you are sure.” Her eyes drifted to her laptop screen and she smiled. “Hi Fame! Please don’t stay up too late you two! Remember to double check your schedule for tomorrow. I love you.”

“I love you too Mum, don’t be late for class. I’m just fine!” 

Her Mum finally left and Fame went off mute.”Your Mum is so nice!” She gushed, “you are so lucky you get to homeschool, I wish I could homeschool too…” She giggled nervously, “Except you know... not at my home. Ugh parentals.”

Violet muted herself and turned off her desk lamp. She knew in the past week of skyping with her that Fame didn’t have the greatest home life so she didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that Fame was video chatting while she did her homework. She usually only heard them screaming at Fame from another room and Fame going to talk to them. The wait for her to come back was agonizing, they would scream, Fame respond in a voice she could hardly hear. It was all in German and Violet was curious as to why they were so angry all the time. Fame wouldn’t talk about it, Violet tried and Fame would get VERY angry if she pushed too hard. She just wished Fame’s parents would let her go to Violet’s for a sleepover. Sometimes she would come into class already changed and Violet has seen bruises that Fame had quickly covered up. She gets really angry out of the blue sometimes, especially when people call her by her German name, Famke. Violet often thought about telling her Mum about Fame’s home life but if the authorities got involved and nothing happened, she knew things would be 10 times worse for her. 

Violet heard the doorknob to Fame’s room turning and minimized screens so it was as dark as possible. She double checked that she was on mute, she was still holding her breath. On a whim she pulled up the recording app she had and pressed record.

A middle aged uptight looking woman barged in, she was impeccably dressed in a red pantsuit and the biggest diamond earrings Violet had ever seen. Her chestnut hair was pulled into a tight chignon with not a stray hair out of place, it was almost as if the woman was so intimidating that even her hair didn’t dare defy her. She was scowling. Fame was still sitting when she beared down upon her like she was a hungry eagle and Fame was her prey. Fame turned in her chair. 

Her Mum was talking in German, her voice getting louder and louder as she lectured her daughter, Fame was silent through it all until her Mum grabbed her hand, she pulled her hand out of her mother’s grip, stood up and started yelling back at her. Then her Mum pushed Fame, hard. Fame flew back and out of sight, it sounded like she had landed in the chair and then a crash like the chair had been turned over. Her Mother leaned down so she was mostly out of view and Violet hoped she was checking to see if Fame was ok but she just kept screaming at her and then there was the sickening sound of her hand or foot making contact with Fame’s body. Violet wasn’t sure if it was a slap, a kick or a punch, Fame grunted with each blow. Not that it mattered what kind of strike it was, it was still a strike. Fame’s mother gave her a final look of disgust and left the room, slamming the door so hard that the camera on Fame’s laptop shook.

Violet felt like all the air was sucked out of her room. She was too afraid to say anything incase her mother came back, she waited. Every second was agonizing. After 5 minutes of Violet sitting in the dark, crying so hard that her whole body shook. She didn’t even know where Fame lived, the other girl was so secretive and now Violet could see why. Who would want people coming over to meet her monster of a mother? She had heard Fame’s Dad yell before but Violet never knew if he was yelling at her or her Mother. Violet really wished that she knew German.

Violet took in a ragged breath and pressed unmute. “Fame? Are you...Are you there?”

There was a sharp intake of breath and a groan.

“Fame? Are you ok?”

“Ja, just give me a second please.”

“Oh my God, take whatever time you need. Are you hurt?”

“Mmmhmm,” she said and hissed in pain, “it’s not too bad this time. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” She finally came into view, pushing the chair over to the desk and sitting down gently, holding her side and wincing.

“This time? THIS TIME! Fame listen to yourself. Ohmigod you’re bleeding.” Blood was trickling from somewhere up in Fame’s hair down the right side of her face.

Fame put her hand that had been holding her ribs up to feel her head, pulling her fingers away, slick with blood.

“Put some pressure on it. Do you think it needs stitches?” Violet asked.

“I don’t know, at least it’s in my hairline.”  
The two girls were silent for a moment. Fame tried to think of how to explain what just happened and make sure Violet didn’t tell. Violet’s mind was whirring of how to help her friend.

Fame put her arm down from holding her cut on her head, the tissues were soggy with blood, holding her arm up was making her ribs hurt. 

Violet opened and closed her mouth a few times before she whispered, “oh Fame.”

“It’s ok Violet. It’s ok.” Fame said, trying to convey a message to Violet to drop it but it was evident she wasn’t going to. Fame felt more warm blood trickle down her face but the only way she was able to breathe was by holding her ribs.

“Fame you need to go to the hospital.”

“NO! I don’t! I can’t! Not anymore!” Fame looked caught, like she did every time she said too much.

An idea hit Violet like a lightening bolt, “Hey Fame, can you sneak out of the house?”

“I already TOLD you I can’t go to the hospital Violet!” She spat out. Her accent more pronounced when she was mad.

Violet put her hands out, “no! No! I have an idea. Just listen for a minute, hear me out ok?”

Fame nodded resignedly and clamped her lips shut into a tight line.

“Ok my Grandad was a medic in the war, he could probably help you if you can get out.”  
“He’s going to ask too many questions. You can’t come to my house Violet.”  
Violet knew that was true that he would ask questions but she also knew she had him wrapped around her little finger. She thought fast, “Do you have a MARTA train station near you? We could meet there. I can tell him that you fell getting off or something and that you have no insurance. He’d do anything for me Fame, really! Your head is still bleeding a lot and you need some help. It’s ok to need some help.” Violet’s face crumpled and she let out a sob, wiping at her eyes frustratedly, she didn’t want to make Fame feel any worse than she was already feeling but she couldn’t help it. 

“Please let me help you.” She begged in barely a whisper.

Fame was tearing up too, which she promptly stuffed down. She had never had a friend like Violet, someone who cared so deeply about people yet handled the verbal and sometimes physical abuse from the other girls at dance class with confidence and ease. 

She sighed and nodded. “I am supposed to take the dog for a walk, I live a few blocks from the Chamblee station. I will just put on a hat I guess and clean up my face.” She gestured at the line of blood. 

“No way! Chamblee? We’re just down from the Lindbergh Center stop!” Violet was excited about the close proximity. Maybe she could go that way when Fame walked the dog.

“Are you sure he won’t be mad? I don’t want to make anyone mad. Maybe I shouldn’t.” Fame was already talking herself out of help.

“I promise you he won’t, you head out and tell me when you are leaving, we will park close to the station, we have a older red van, I’ll text you a picture of it ok? Are you leaving now?”

Violet harangued Fame until she finally said “Yes, fine! I just have to go to the bathroom and clean this up and find a hat.”

“Promise?”

Fame let out a little burst of laughter accompanied by sharp intake of breath. “You are like a starving dog with a bone, do you know that Violet?”

“I’ve never heard it worded like that but I get what I want. Text me when you leave, I’ll go talk to my Grandad.”

“Ok,” Fame whispered, “thank you Violet.”

“Thank you for trusting me enough to let me help.”

Violet tried to take the stairs two at a time like she normally did when she was in a hurry but she almost fell, she must have been sitting on her feet again because they were asleep. She couldn’t remember sitting on them but when you were watching a friend get the shit beaten out of themselves, you aren’t so concerned if you are cutting the circulation off at your feet.

Violet knocked on study door, light shined under the door so she knew he was awake, “Come in.” She opened the door and inhaled the sweet smelling pipe smoke that lingered in the room.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company at 11pm? Wait, have you been crying princess?” He said, immediately furrowing his brow and looking concerned.

“It’s my friend, she was walking her dog and it chased after something and she fell. I was hoping we could go and you could make sure she was ok? Her head is bleeding pretty hard. Please?” She begged. Violet rarely begged for anything because she was too independent and headstrong to do so.

“Now why doesn’t she go to the hospital near the station? Piedmont is right by there.”

“Her family doesn’t have insurance. Please, she is one of the dancers at the studio and like my best friend.” 

“Well ok, I guess we can do that Princess. Let me go get the keys, you get the first aid kit from under the sink in your bathroom, I think that is the one that is the most well stocked because of your dancing. Antiseptic too. Oh and bring some type of painkiller.” 

“Ok thanks Grandad. Meet you at the car.” Violet stood up and bounded out of the room as best she could, her feet felt funny still, hopefully her blisters haven’t gotten infected. No time to worry about that right now, she’d check it later.

She took a quick picture of the van and sent it to Fame and then they were on their way. 

When they got to the station, Fame was folded in on herself on the curb, a golden lab sitting obediently beside her. She had her head down and Violet was alarmed that blood had seeped through Fame’s light pink knit hat. 

They pulled into a spot and got out, Violet crouched down by Fame and put her hand on her knee, Fame jumped, held her ribs and let out a string of German expletives. 

“Sorry! Sorry!!” She went to get up and Violet and her Grandad hefted her up and frogmarched her to the van and sat her on the edge of the backseat.  
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked Violet to help, I was just walking the dog and he took off after a rabbit and I fell.” Grandad looked at Violet who bit her lip nervously, she knew she was busted but hoped he wouldn’t say anything.

“Well….that happens sometimes dear. Dogs are temperamental creatures. Let’s see if we can get you patched up ok? So Violanie says you’re in the same dance class as she is?” Arnold asked, trying to pull the injured girl’s attention to something other than him poking at her wounds. He knew his granddaughter well and with the differing stories and the obedience of the supposed “run away dog” who was lying placidly on the concrete had him suspicious. Well, that along with the wide eyes and shifty expressions of both of the girls. He managed to find enough butterfly bandages to close up the deep but clean cut on her head and put a wrap around her ribs, a few were most likely broken. He crumpled up the wrappers and stuffed them into his coat pocket.

“Ok I think you are all patched up but you really should get those ribs xrayed, I know the name of a Doctor friend of mine at a free clinic nearby, I can give him a call now.”

Fame’s eyes got even wider, “No thank you, my family REALLY don’t like Doctors.” The girls exchanged dark looks.

“Well at least we can drive you home.”

“No thank you. Walking is important exercise for dance students, I am sure my dog will behave now. Usually Gluckspilz is very obedient. I’ll be fine.”

Arnold thought for a minute, there was something up, he could tell. Fame stepped out of the van, holding her ribs as she bent down to grab the dog’s leash letting out a little yip of pain.

“See? You are hurt, please let us drive you home.”

“I SAID NO!!” Fame yelled, her beautiful face contorting in rage. She turned around and ran. 

Arnold and Violet got back into the van quietly, and drove a little distance before he looked over at her and said, “I think it’s time for you to explain yourself little Princess.”

“Explain what?” She said nervously, not making eye contact with him. “Thank you for helping her though Grandad. She took a pretty nasty fall with Gluck..whatever her dog’s name is.” Finally looking at him as they pulled in the drive. She gave him an everything-is-fine-I swear smile.

As they walked up the stairs, Vi tripped yet again, “geeze when did I turn into such a klutz?” She tittered nervously as they went inside, she made for the stairs but he put his hand on her shoulder, “Oh no you don’t, we are going to have a discussion right now young lady.”

She gulped as he led her over to the big brown leather sofa in the study. Sitting down beside her and looking stern.

“Ok what REALLY happened to your friend.”

“What do you mean?” She said, turning her chin away from him.

He pulled her chin back and stared her straight in the eyes, “it’s curious that when one falls because of a dog dragging them, you would THINK that their head wound AND broken ribs would be on the SAME side. Wouldn’t you think so?”

Violet knew she was caught. She burst into tears.


	2. Part 2

Part 2

“Oh dear! There, there love.” He pulled her into him while she cried. When her tears seemed to pass, he let go, “Ok tell Grandad what really happened.

“Well, she got jumped in the park. There are some mean girls at the studio and girls that don’t like her at her school. I think one of their brothers or boyfriends or even some random stranger beat her up and she doesn’t want her parents to know so that is why she wouldn’t let us drop her off.” Violet had no idea where she came up with such a bold faced lie but she made sure that she kept eye contact and made the accusation as vague as possible.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH BOYS TODAY? DOESN’T ANYONE TEACH THEM RESPONSIBILITY AND MANNERS?” He bellowed angrily. He was kind of scaring Violet and it must have shown on her face, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok Pops,” he smiled at the old and seldom used nickname, his eyes crinkling. Violet wiped at her tear stained cheeks and rubbed her eyes.

“You go up to bed Princess, we can talk in the morning. Ok?” She nodded wearily and he leaned over and gave her a hug, giving her a whiskery kiss on her forehead.

Violet walked slowly up the stairs, considering her new found clumsiness, dragging the first aid kit with her. She switched into pajamas and threw her dress towards the laundry basket, she missed but she didn’t care. She flopped backwards on her bed and sighed. What a crazy night!

She jumped back up and sat at her desk, she definitely didn’t want to watch the video of Fame getting the shit kicked out of her but she wanted to keep it safe so she dropped it in a locked file since her Mum routinely checked her computer but would never ask to see her private folder.

There was no way she was going to be able to finish her homework tonight, she would have to double up tomorrow. She checked her schedule, childishly crossing her fingers that she didn’t have an early private with Madame Katya. If any of the girls knew that she was allowed to call Madame by her first name, they would hate her even more. 

“Yessss!” She didn’t have class til the afternoon. She had a meeting with her Obridge Academy teacher about how she was doing with their homeschooling curriculum but it wasn’t until 10 and it always went quickly since she was a good student and she was motivated to staying a homeschool student, it just gave her so much more freedom. 

She closed her laptop and flopped starfished on her bed. She fished her phone out from the blankets where she had thrown it when she got changed, set an alarm and then checked her texts. She bit her lip and pulled up Fame’s messages.

V - Fame, did you make it home ok?

While she waited for Fame to respond, she stretched out and rubbed her feet. They felt weird, all pins and needles when she KNEW she wasn’t sitting on them so what the fuck was going on with them. 

V- Fame are you ok? 

She curled onto her side and felt the first fat tear slide down her face, clutching her phone. She finally fell asleep around 2am.

Narrator: Now dear reader, hold onto your seat, who knows which what wild and wicked portents will be around the bend that Violet’s dream or nightmare or memory will whisk us off to next.

Violet jerked awake when her alarm went off. She was still on top of the blankets and had the indentation of the phone on her hand from holding it all night. She checked for a message from Fame but there wasn’t one. 

What if she wasn’t allowed to have her phone?  
What if she was hurt?  
What if she needed a doctor?  
What if they killed her?

“Woah woah woah!” Violet said out loud, starting at her own voice. She would just send her another message and go eat some breakfast. Fame always texted her between her first and second period. She always did.

Violet stood up and promptly fell on her face, something was wrong with her feet. She probably pulled something or pinched a nerve. She pulled herself up and rolled her ankles. They seemed ok, they didn’t hurt. She stood up again and stayed upright, putting on her robe and picking her way down the stairs. She should tell someone but her Mum always freaked out when she hurt herself so unless she was about to lose a limb, she kept her mouth shut.

Her Grandad was sitting at the kitchen nook, reading the paper with the news on the TV. He said multitasking kept his brain young but Violet couldn’t focus on both. She smiled at him as she went by, grabbing a bowl of cornflakes with sliced banana and plunking down beside him. They sat in amicable silence, Violet just listened to the annoyingly high-pitched news reporter and munched on her breakfast. 

“Scandal at the German Embassy this morning, Consul General Astra and her husband Emmerich Schreiber implicated in forging documents to obtain US Visa’s for non…”

That’s when Violet looked up and dropped her spoon and her mouth flopped open, Fame’s Mum was on TV, being escorted in handcuffs out of a brick building with “German Embassy” on a sign and a handsome man followed behind her that must have been Fame’s Father. Violet burst into tears.

“What? What’s wrong my little Princess?”

She pointed at the TV, “That’s Fame’s parents on the TV, she didn’t text me back last night.”

“Ok I’m confused,” he paused the TV, “Who is Fame?”

“She’s the….she’s the girl from last niiiight!” She wailed.

“Oh! The one who got beat up in the park?”

“Yeaaaah!” Violet dissolved into incomprehensible blubbering. After a time Violet’s tears slowed. “I'm sorry grandad. Fame's real name is Famke Scheiber but she gets mad when you call her that so she likes to go by Fame. Grandad, I have to tell you something and I'm so sorry but I lied to you last night.”

His bushy grey eyebrows almost touching in the middle when he frowned. “Tell me everything little princess.”

“So Fame is new, she’s only been around class for the past 4 months or so. She would get really mad sometimes, mostly if she was startled or called her by her Germanic name.” Violet stopped for a minute to collect her thoughts.

“And? What happened?”

“Well, ok...Um...Fame and I usually video chat with each other while we do our homework. Her mom and dad yell at her a lot, I don't know if the dad is protecting Fame or joining in on the abuse. They are usually yelling at her from another room and she'll go and talk to them. It’s always in German. Last night, we were on video chat when Fame’s mother came into her room. I put myself on mute and turned the lights off in my room so that her parents wouldn’t get even more irate that she was talking to someone while doing homework. And well, Fame’s Mother came in and she was screaming at her and then Fame stood up and was yelling back.” Violet paused to wipe the tears off her flushed face and blew her nose, “and then...and then” and Violet started crying so hard that her words were basically unintelligible.

Arnold scooted his chair around and put his arm around his granddaughter murmuring comforting phrases and stroking her hair as she cried on his shoulder until she had no more tears left, just hiccuping. Grandad went and got Violet some water which she gulped down noisily.

“Ok love, I really NEED to know about your friend. Ok?”

“Ok,” Violet nodded and took in a deep shaky breath and then expelled the information as if it was a demon she needed to exercise from her very being.

“Then her Mother pushed her, she flew back onto the desk chair, fell over and then her Mother must have kicked or punched her in the ribs. That part was all off camera. I did hit record because I had a funny feeling about it so I have a video. But she was bleeding so much and I knew she needed help but wouldn’t go to the hospital, she said something about ‘not again’ which probably means she went to the hospital once and it didn’t turn out well. I’ve noticed bruises before and she gets really jumpy if you touch her and she gets really mad sometimes.”

“Oh the poor dear, and you say those are her parents?” He asked, gesturing to the TV. Violet just nodded.

Arnold twisted his mustache between his fingers for a moment while he thought. “Ok Princess, this is what we HAVE to do if we want to help your friend. You need to get your laptop and get dressed, the police may want to speak to you, so I’m afraid you will have to cancel any dance or appointments for the morning but as soon as they leave, you can go to dance. Ok?”

“I am going to cancel dance for the day, Fame probably won’t be there and I can’t bear,” her eyes misted up, “I can’t bear to walk in there and not know what happened to her.”

“Are you sure? You haven’t missed a single class in years let alone a whole day.”

She bit her lip and was on the verge of tears again but she nodded. “I’m sure, If I feel up to it, I’ll practise in my special room where you put the barre and mirrors up. Ok?”

“Whatever you want to do Princess.” He kissed her on the forehead again, “I’ll call my friend Dan on the police force, see what he knows. They are going to ask you a lot of questions so be prepared for that but we will hopefully find out about your friend.”

Violet bounded up the stairs, calling the Obridge Academy to leave a message that they would have to reschedule and then texting Olivia, the receptionist and schedule master extraordinaire at the studio.

V - hey ‘liv, I have to cancel all of my classes today.

Olivia - ALL of them?

V- Yes please, tell madame Z that I’m sorry.

Olivia - Is there a cold front moving in that I didn’t see on the news?

V- WTF are you talking about?

Olivia - Well now that hell has frozen over, you know, just wondering.

Violet felt her lips turn up into a little grin.  
V - very funny you smart ass! Gotta go! 

Violet quickly threw on a pair of skinny jeans and a grey oversized sweatshirt that said Straight Outta Dance Class in light pink. Pulling her long hair into a french braid. She slipped her laptop into the bag and pulled it over her shoulder, she wasn’t taking any chances of dropping it. It not only contained the video but her whole life, her schooling, her videos of her dancing so she could see what she was doing wrong and videos of competitions, auditions etc.

When she got it set up downstairs, she fished out her phone again. No messages from Fame but she couldn’t help sending another text.

V - Fame, I’m really worried, please tell me you’re ok. I saw your parents on the news, I’m worried. You can come here if you need somewhere to stay.

The police came and went and it was exhausting. She had a quick nap and now Violet was sitting quietly in the Study with a cup of tea and homework. At one point they asked to take her computer but thankfully Granddad convinced them that she needed her computer and that they could just make a copy of the video. She happily gave them one of her zip drives. Grandad was there, pretending to read a book but his eyes kept roaming between checking on her and looking at the phone. The officer had assured them that he would call when he found out where Fame was. Like she was lost.

Violet was being just as productive with her school work as her Grandad was with the book he was “reading”, he hadn’t turned the page in the past 20 minutes. The phone rang, it sounded too big for the room, as if a bomb went off, making them both jump.

“Hello. Arnold here. Yes. I understand.” The wait was agonizing for Violet, he didn’t really say much, just mmmhmmms and more ‘yes I understands’ and a ‘that would be great,’. He finally hung up and sighed deeply, making a tent out of his fingers and resting his forehead on them.

It was probably only 30 seconds but to Violet, it felt like an eternity. Anxiety churning her stomach, making her heart race and her lungs burn like there wasn’t enough air in the room. “Ok WHAT? What happened? I can’t take it!” He looked up at her, “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have yelled at you!”

He came from around his desk and sat beside her, pulling her hand into his big warm, calloused hand. “It’s ok Princess Violanie, I understand. You are just worried about your friend. So that was Dan, Fame has no family here and she has no relatives here that would be able to look after her.”

“Oh no! Oh no! They are going to send her to Germany, they can’t send my ONLY friend in the world half a world away!” Violet put her head down and started crying.

“Wait Princess, don’t cry. Fame can’t go to Germany, her parents were pretty bad people in Germany and it wouldn’t be safe for Fame to go back there even IF any of her kin would accept her.”

“So where does that leave her?” Violet let go of his hand and hugged herself, he pulled a blanket off the settee and covered her shoulders with it. “She’s all alone?”

“Right now she is in the hospital because of last night, they are keeping her there for at least one night, possibly two,” Violet opened her mouth to say something and he grinned a little and kept speaking, “and yes we can go visit her.”

“But what will happen to her after the next day or two?”

“They will be placing her in a foster home but it will be in the area and you will be able to visit.”

“Really? She’ll be close enough to visit? So she isn’t moving to Germany, for sure? Like for sure, for sure?”

“For 100% sure.”

“So like how close? One or two train stops? And how do you know this? Are we supposed to know this? On TV it always seems like getting a foster family takes a long time. Can we go visit her?”

“I can’t tell you how close but a spot opened up nearby that should be ready by the time she gets out of the hospital. She’s at Piedmont Hospital so it’s one station away to visit her but we’ll drive today. I’m glad she has a really good friend in you to help her through this.”

“I’m just happy she’s ok.”

“Me too honey. Why don’t you get your purse or whatever else you young ladies need to leave the house and we’ll go see your friend.”

Violet jumped up and almost fell flat on her face. Her Grandad caught her by the arm. “Woah easy you! You need to eat?” 

“No I just stood up too fast, I’ll grab some cheese and an apple to eat on the way to the hospital, ok?”

“THAT’S my girl!” 

She wriggled her sleepy feet around and stood up again with much better results.

She felt like her legs were encased in a thick layer of lead but she got upstairs ok. She grabbed her purse off her desk and then looked at her bookcase where she had a collection of stuffed animals. She pulled a pig in a tutu she got when she was 13 and stuffed it in her purse, considering their last conversation about pigs in tutus she hoped it would make Fame smile. If not today then someday soon.


End file.
